The Stakes– December 9, 2011

The year 2012 marks the 56^th quadrennial presidential election, and it is sure to be a real barnburner! This election cycle features some very stark differences among the presidential candidates as well as those running for Congress in terms of their vision for the country, political ideology, and even in matters of temperament and style. Also, with a shaky economy at home and countless international crises – Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, the trade deficit, climate change, years of shameful outsourcing, conflict in the Mideast, and more – the outcome of this election will matter for years to come. Add to that the fact that the nation is more bitterly divided at home than perhaps any time since the Civil War, and the United States finds itself at a crossroads politically.

 The 2012 election will likely be the most expensive, one of the nastiest, and one of the most important in history. Indeed, it is hard to imagine anyone scripting a more intriguing election than this one. I look forward to blogging over the coming months and hope you find both my blog and this website to be helpful resources during Campaign 2012.

(Robert Watson, Ph.D. is Professor and Coordinator of American Studies at Lynn University and the author/editor of 34 books on American politics and history).

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